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The Undiscovered Country: Triumph, Tragedy, and the Shaping of the American West
New York Times Bestseller
A Wall Street Journal Top Ten Book of the Year
A True West Magazine Best Historical Non-Fiction Book and Best Author of the Year
From the author of The Apache Wars, the true story of the American West, revealing how American ambition clashed with the realities of violence and exploitation
The epic of the American West became a tale of progress, redemption, and glorious conquest that came to shape the identity of a new nation. Over time a darker story emerged—one of ghastly violence and environmental spoliation that stained this identity.
The Undiscovered Country strips away the layers of myth to reveal the true story of this first epoch of American history. From the forests of Pennsylvania and Kentucky to the snow-crested California Sierras, and from the harsh deserts of the Southwest to the buffalo range of the Great Plains, Paul Andrew Hutton masterfully chronicles a story that defined America and its people. From Braddock’s 1755 defeat to the 1890 Wounded Knee massacre, he unfolds a grand narrative steeped in romantic impulses and tragic consequences.
Hutton uses seven main protagonists—Daniel Boone, Red Eagle, Davy Crockett, Mangas Coloradas, Kit Carson, Sitting Bull, and William “Buffalo Bill” Cody—as the biographical threads by which to weave a tapestry across seven generations, revealing a story of heroic conquest and dark tragedy, of sacrifice and greed, and of man-made wonders and environmental ruin.
The American frontier movement has proven eternally fascinating around the world—the subject of countless books, paintings, poems, television shows, and films. The Undiscovered Country reveals the truth behind America’s great creation myth.
A Wall Street Journal Top Ten Book of the Year
A True West Magazine Best Historical Non-Fiction Book and Best Author of the Year
From the author of The Apache Wars, the true story of the American West, revealing how American ambition clashed with the realities of violence and exploitation
The epic of the American West became a tale of progress, redemption, and glorious conquest that came to shape the identity of a new nation. Over time a darker story emerged—one of ghastly violence and environmental spoliation that stained this identity.
The Undiscovered Country strips away the layers of myth to reveal the true story of this first epoch of American history. From the forests of Pennsylvania and Kentucky to the snow-crested California Sierras, and from the harsh deserts of the Southwest to the buffalo range of the Great Plains, Paul Andrew Hutton masterfully chronicles a story that defined America and its people. From Braddock’s 1755 defeat to the 1890 Wounded Knee massacre, he unfolds a grand narrative steeped in romantic impulses and tragic consequences.
Hutton uses seven main protagonists—Daniel Boone, Red Eagle, Davy Crockett, Mangas Coloradas, Kit Carson, Sitting Bull, and William “Buffalo Bill” Cody—as the biographical threads by which to weave a tapestry across seven generations, revealing a story of heroic conquest and dark tragedy, of sacrifice and greed, and of man-made wonders and environmental ruin.
The American frontier movement has proven eternally fascinating around the world—the subject of countless books, paintings, poems, television shows, and films. The Undiscovered Country reveals the truth behind America’s great creation myth.
576 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 5, 2025
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December 12, 2025
“‘The true point of view in the history of this nation is not the Atlantic coast, it is the Great West,’ [Frederick Jackson Turner] announced in a declaration of independence from the shackles of an Eastern-dominated historiography. ‘American democracy was born of no theorist’s dream,’ Turner declared. ‘It came out of the American forest, and it gained new strength each time it touched a new frontier.’ Turner shifted the emphasis of our national story from the East to the West with his bold assertion that the distinctiveness of American cultural and political society, as well as our exceptional national character, emerged from the frontier experience. ‘The existence of an area of free land, its continuous recession, and the advance of American settlement westward, explain American development,’ he boldly declared. He refuted the then prevailing theory that American institutions had evolved from so-called European germ cells without regard to environmental factors. It was the frontier – which he characterized as ‘the meeting point between savagery and civilization’ – that explained the unique American character: a rejection of class and aristocracy, of established religion, standing armies, and other trappings of Europe in favor of adaptation, innovation, invention, individualism, and a rough-hewn democracy. The frontier was not only a process; it was also a state of mind…”
- Paul Andrew Hutton, The Undiscovered Country: Triumph, Tragedy, and the Shaping of the American West
Paul Andrew Hutton’s The Undiscovered Country is a history of the American West as told through the lives of a handful of deadly men who helped conquer it. While there are many threads to be followed in examining America’s westward expansion, the one chosen by Hutton is violence.
Beginning in 1754 with George Washington sparking the French and Indian War, and ending in 1892, with the massacre of Miniconjou Lakota at Wounded Knee, there is a great deal of destruction within these pages. Thousands of people are killed or wounded; homes are destroyed; captives are taken. On the Anglo-American side, forts are besieged, cavalry units wiped out, and families killed on solitary homesteads. For the Indians already living on this contested land, villages are attacked at dawn, food sources are destroyed, whole tribes are removed from their homelands, and an entire way of life vanishes in the course of a single lifetime.
This is all very grim stuff. It is also, in Hutton’s capable hands, a hell of a tale.
***
The Undiscovered Country is a lengthy book. With 465 pages of text, and another 80 pages of annotated endnotes, it has the size, shape, and heft of a weighty scholarly tome. It is not. This is a broadly accessible, briskly-paced popular history, focused on personal experiences at the expense of the overarching big picture. It’s basically one high-stakes anecdote after another, and that is a compliment.
To corral a sprawling mass of history, Hutton chooses to follow the experiences of seven men: Daniel Boone, David Crockett, William “Red Eagle” Weatherford, Mangas Coloradas, Christopher “Kit” Carson, Sitting Bull, and William “Buffalo Bill” Cody. These lives sometimes overlapped, occasionally intersected, and ultimately came to symbolize both the inexorable tide of expansion, and the doomed courage of those trying to hold it back.
Each character acts as a different tile of a mosaic. For example Boone shows us the Indian wars of the Eastern woodlands, as he escapes Edward Braddock’s defeat on the Monongahela River, plunges into Kentucky, and battles the Shawnee, burying some of his children along the way. Through Red Eagle and Crockett, we are given a glimpse of the Creek War, a tragic encounter demonstrating the futility of Indian attempts to adapt to white incursions. Despite being one of the five “civilized” tribes, the Creek were dispossessed by land-greedy settlers abetted by armed troops. Crockett later expressed reservations about his role, but he had little time to rue his decisions, for he was fated for a spectacular end in Texas. Later on, Kit Carson’s eventful life introduces us to the era of the mountain man, the expeditions of John C. Fremont, the revolt in California, and campaigns against the Apache and Navajo.
***
The advantage of Hutton’s approach is obvious: it is entertaining. History should never be boring, and in The Undiscovered Country, Hutton demonstrates that he understands this. His narrative coalesces around dramatic set pieces, such as a gripping account of Sitting Bull’s murder, the legendary chieftain shot down while his specially-trained horse – a gift from Buffalo Bill – danced to the music of gunfire.
The protagonists are also relatively well chosen, men who were larger than life, though often smaller than their reputations. I found the arcs of Kit Carson and Buffalo Bill Cody to be especially well-executed.
Hutton’s writing is also suited to this material. A longtime talking head for the History Channel, he has a smooth, lucid storytelling style. Though his eye for detail is similar to that of the dime-store novelist, his assertions are backed by those aforementioned endnotes.
***
Despite all the fun – if that’s the right word – I had reading this, The Undiscovered Country has its shortcomings. For one, it is not comprehensive, even with its prodigious size. To the contrary, Hutton’s coverage is spotty, and verges on the idiosyncratic. The wars of the Iroquois and Seminole are skipped entirely. There is a chapter on the Alamo, but the Comanche of Texas are mostly ignored. Red Cloud, Crazy Horse, and George A. Custer are barely mentioned. William S. Harney and the First Sioux War get a one-page cameo; the annihilation of William Judd Fetterman at the outset of Red Cloud’s War is absent.
Some elisions are necessary, for no single volume can capture the epic scope of this subject. Furthermore, it’s a bit commendable that Hutton decided against yet another recounting of the Little Big Horn to examine less well-known incidents.
Still, this is the kind of book in which you need to bring your own context. Hutton’s pointillist, character-centered technique means that you get a good look at some of the forest’s trees, but seldom see the whole thing at one time. There is no chronological framework, no methodical look at how things all unfolded over the decades, no discussion of the United States’s inconsistent and oft-treacherous Indian policies. What Hutton covers, he covers well. But there are a lot of gaps.
In addition to these issues, The Undiscovered Country suffers from a noticeable imbalance. Even though they are featured players, the Indians on this cast list get far less time on stage than the likes of Boone, Crockett, and Cody. Furthermore, there is little to no room here for other perspectives. Women are barely seen, while minimal effort is made to include blacks, Hispanics, or the Chinese. Hutton is never insulting or offensive – which cannot be said of all the West’s chroniclers – but the narrowness of viewpoints felt a bit retrograde.
***
Given Hutton’s clear interest in Frederick Jackson Turner’s “frontier thesis,” it is not surprising that his own work shares some of its same problems. To the extent that Hutton agrees with Turner, such an agreement is poorly supported. The “frontier thesis” is an interesting thing to ponder, but its glaring faults are obvious, failing to grapple with the role of federal soldiers, nonwhite participants, nonmale participants, and corporations. Nevertheless, The Undiscovered Country has its own worthy merits. I found that it paired nicely with Elliott West’s Continental Reckoning, a similarly large book with a more academic bent, but lacking in color.
If nothing else, Hutton reminds us that no matter how massive a historical event, there are people at the heart of it, individuals not entirely unlike us, caught in powerful currents not of their own making, doing their best to succeed, and often simply trying to survive. We look back at them and try to decide what they meant, but they were just trying to get through each day. Our present was their unimagined future; their future a vast unknown.
- Paul Andrew Hutton, The Undiscovered Country: Triumph, Tragedy, and the Shaping of the American West
Paul Andrew Hutton’s The Undiscovered Country is a history of the American West as told through the lives of a handful of deadly men who helped conquer it. While there are many threads to be followed in examining America’s westward expansion, the one chosen by Hutton is violence.
Beginning in 1754 with George Washington sparking the French and Indian War, and ending in 1892, with the massacre of Miniconjou Lakota at Wounded Knee, there is a great deal of destruction within these pages. Thousands of people are killed or wounded; homes are destroyed; captives are taken. On the Anglo-American side, forts are besieged, cavalry units wiped out, and families killed on solitary homesteads. For the Indians already living on this contested land, villages are attacked at dawn, food sources are destroyed, whole tribes are removed from their homelands, and an entire way of life vanishes in the course of a single lifetime.
This is all very grim stuff. It is also, in Hutton’s capable hands, a hell of a tale.
***
The Undiscovered Country is a lengthy book. With 465 pages of text, and another 80 pages of annotated endnotes, it has the size, shape, and heft of a weighty scholarly tome. It is not. This is a broadly accessible, briskly-paced popular history, focused on personal experiences at the expense of the overarching big picture. It’s basically one high-stakes anecdote after another, and that is a compliment.
To corral a sprawling mass of history, Hutton chooses to follow the experiences of seven men: Daniel Boone, David Crockett, William “Red Eagle” Weatherford, Mangas Coloradas, Christopher “Kit” Carson, Sitting Bull, and William “Buffalo Bill” Cody. These lives sometimes overlapped, occasionally intersected, and ultimately came to symbolize both the inexorable tide of expansion, and the doomed courage of those trying to hold it back.
Each character acts as a different tile of a mosaic. For example Boone shows us the Indian wars of the Eastern woodlands, as he escapes Edward Braddock’s defeat on the Monongahela River, plunges into Kentucky, and battles the Shawnee, burying some of his children along the way. Through Red Eagle and Crockett, we are given a glimpse of the Creek War, a tragic encounter demonstrating the futility of Indian attempts to adapt to white incursions. Despite being one of the five “civilized” tribes, the Creek were dispossessed by land-greedy settlers abetted by armed troops. Crockett later expressed reservations about his role, but he had little time to rue his decisions, for he was fated for a spectacular end in Texas. Later on, Kit Carson’s eventful life introduces us to the era of the mountain man, the expeditions of John C. Fremont, the revolt in California, and campaigns against the Apache and Navajo.
***
The advantage of Hutton’s approach is obvious: it is entertaining. History should never be boring, and in The Undiscovered Country, Hutton demonstrates that he understands this. His narrative coalesces around dramatic set pieces, such as a gripping account of Sitting Bull’s murder, the legendary chieftain shot down while his specially-trained horse – a gift from Buffalo Bill – danced to the music of gunfire.
The protagonists are also relatively well chosen, men who were larger than life, though often smaller than their reputations. I found the arcs of Kit Carson and Buffalo Bill Cody to be especially well-executed.
Hutton’s writing is also suited to this material. A longtime talking head for the History Channel, he has a smooth, lucid storytelling style. Though his eye for detail is similar to that of the dime-store novelist, his assertions are backed by those aforementioned endnotes.
***
Despite all the fun – if that’s the right word – I had reading this, The Undiscovered Country has its shortcomings. For one, it is not comprehensive, even with its prodigious size. To the contrary, Hutton’s coverage is spotty, and verges on the idiosyncratic. The wars of the Iroquois and Seminole are skipped entirely. There is a chapter on the Alamo, but the Comanche of Texas are mostly ignored. Red Cloud, Crazy Horse, and George A. Custer are barely mentioned. William S. Harney and the First Sioux War get a one-page cameo; the annihilation of William Judd Fetterman at the outset of Red Cloud’s War is absent.
Some elisions are necessary, for no single volume can capture the epic scope of this subject. Furthermore, it’s a bit commendable that Hutton decided against yet another recounting of the Little Big Horn to examine less well-known incidents.
Still, this is the kind of book in which you need to bring your own context. Hutton’s pointillist, character-centered technique means that you get a good look at some of the forest’s trees, but seldom see the whole thing at one time. There is no chronological framework, no methodical look at how things all unfolded over the decades, no discussion of the United States’s inconsistent and oft-treacherous Indian policies. What Hutton covers, he covers well. But there are a lot of gaps.
In addition to these issues, The Undiscovered Country suffers from a noticeable imbalance. Even though they are featured players, the Indians on this cast list get far less time on stage than the likes of Boone, Crockett, and Cody. Furthermore, there is little to no room here for other perspectives. Women are barely seen, while minimal effort is made to include blacks, Hispanics, or the Chinese. Hutton is never insulting or offensive – which cannot be said of all the West’s chroniclers – but the narrowness of viewpoints felt a bit retrograde.
***
Given Hutton’s clear interest in Frederick Jackson Turner’s “frontier thesis,” it is not surprising that his own work shares some of its same problems. To the extent that Hutton agrees with Turner, such an agreement is poorly supported. The “frontier thesis” is an interesting thing to ponder, but its glaring faults are obvious, failing to grapple with the role of federal soldiers, nonwhite participants, nonmale participants, and corporations. Nevertheless, The Undiscovered Country has its own worthy merits. I found that it paired nicely with Elliott West’s Continental Reckoning, a similarly large book with a more academic bent, but lacking in color.
If nothing else, Hutton reminds us that no matter how massive a historical event, there are people at the heart of it, individuals not entirely unlike us, caught in powerful currents not of their own making, doing their best to succeed, and often simply trying to survive. We look back at them and try to decide what they meant, but they were just trying to get through each day. Our present was their unimagined future; their future a vast unknown.
May 29, 2025
The story of a country in four lives is the basic premise of The Undiscovered Country by Paul Andrew Hutton. I really enjoyed Hutton's previous book, The Apache Wars, so I had high hopes for this one. Like many great sequels, this one is bigger and also better.
Hutton looks at the expansion of the U.S. from before the revolution to the end of the Wild West. He uses four people as the lenses to look through for each time period. You may have heard of Daniel Boone, Davy Crockett, Kit Caron, and Buffalo Bill before. I did have some worries that Hutton many end up too high-level by focusing on specific lives, but I was quite happy how fast paced the book felt without losing a tremendous amount of detail. Sure, the Apache Wars got their own book, but Hutton is able to pack a lot into a little.
This is a great book for someone who is not too well-versed in the people and time periods covered. It's just simply very good and worth a read.
(This book was provided as an advance reader copy by NetGalley and Dutton Books.)
Hutton looks at the expansion of the U.S. from before the revolution to the end of the Wild West. He uses four people as the lenses to look through for each time period. You may have heard of Daniel Boone, Davy Crockett, Kit Caron, and Buffalo Bill before. I did have some worries that Hutton many end up too high-level by focusing on specific lives, but I was quite happy how fast paced the book felt without losing a tremendous amount of detail. Sure, the Apache Wars got their own book, but Hutton is able to pack a lot into a little.
This is a great book for someone who is not too well-versed in the people and time periods covered. It's just simply very good and worth a read.
(This book was provided as an advance reader copy by NetGalley and Dutton Books.)
July 24, 2025
ARC
I’d like to thank Dutton and NetGalley for the opportunity to give “The Undiscovered Country” a read in return for an honest review.
I am one that absolutely loved the history of the American west. Westward expansion and frontier life is something that I grew up around, being in the area where the Comstock Lode occurred. With that, I’ve always had a desire to find out as much as I could about the west, and this book seemed to be one that was going to give me everything I wanted.
And, to some degree, it did. This book is meticulously researched, which is an impressive feat, knowing the scope of this book. This cover over a century of activity within the country, offering up detailed examinations of events that lead to the men covered within to go westward. It truly feels like a labor of love, since it feels like Hutton himself has a personal stake in this and did what he could to do it justice.
My biggest issue was that the book felt like it lacked a point of view. The events throughout are presented in a matter-of-fact way, reading more like a textbook than account of westward expansion. As interesting as the subject matter was, this book tended to drag, which left me wanting to read as quickly as I could so I could move on to another chapter. It was interesting to read about, but the way the information was distributed left me wanting more.
However, I didn’t hate this book by any means, and I know it’s going to be one that history buffs are going to eat up. I was surprised to get through it as quickly as I did, even if it wasn’t for the best of reasons. I still found this to be an interesting one, albeit one that was more drab than entertaining. Still, it’s a great read for anyone wanting to brush up on some American history, especially pre-Revolution, which I found to be some of the most interesting sections to read.
Be sure to check “The Undiscovered Country” by Paul Andrew Hutton when it is published on August 5, 2025.
I’d like to thank Dutton and NetGalley for the opportunity to give “The Undiscovered Country” a read in return for an honest review.
I am one that absolutely loved the history of the American west. Westward expansion and frontier life is something that I grew up around, being in the area where the Comstock Lode occurred. With that, I’ve always had a desire to find out as much as I could about the west, and this book seemed to be one that was going to give me everything I wanted.
And, to some degree, it did. This book is meticulously researched, which is an impressive feat, knowing the scope of this book. This cover over a century of activity within the country, offering up detailed examinations of events that lead to the men covered within to go westward. It truly feels like a labor of love, since it feels like Hutton himself has a personal stake in this and did what he could to do it justice.
My biggest issue was that the book felt like it lacked a point of view. The events throughout are presented in a matter-of-fact way, reading more like a textbook than account of westward expansion. As interesting as the subject matter was, this book tended to drag, which left me wanting to read as quickly as I could so I could move on to another chapter. It was interesting to read about, but the way the information was distributed left me wanting more.
However, I didn’t hate this book by any means, and I know it’s going to be one that history buffs are going to eat up. I was surprised to get through it as quickly as I did, even if it wasn’t for the best of reasons. I still found this to be an interesting one, albeit one that was more drab than entertaining. Still, it’s a great read for anyone wanting to brush up on some American history, especially pre-Revolution, which I found to be some of the most interesting sections to read.
Be sure to check “The Undiscovered Country” by Paul Andrew Hutton when it is published on August 5, 2025.
October 23, 2025
Excellent book on the American West!
October 7, 2025
The book is divided into four parts: Forest, City, Prairie, and Mountains. It is the story of the shifting frontier westward featuring: George Washington, Daniel Boone, Davey Crockett, Kit Carson, Mangas Colorado, and Buffalo Bill Cody.
It's the usual gem from Hutton. Much like The Apache Wars (2016) another masterpiece that belongs in any library about the West.
It's the usual gem from Hutton. Much like The Apache Wars (2016) another masterpiece that belongs in any library about the West.
July 15, 2025
This was an interesting read about the opening of the American West starting with the expansion beyond the Appalachian mountains. It is told through four main characters: Daniel Boone, Davy Crockett, Kit Carson and Buffalo Bill Cody. While there are several more detailed biographies about each, the author does a very good job of weaving the timelines together to present overview of the development of the west and pulls no punches in the process. I recommend this book to anyone with an interest in the development of the United States through it’s westward expansion.
I received a free Kindle copy of this book courtesy of Net Galley and the publisher with the understanding that I would post a review on Net Galley, Goodreads, Amazon and my nonfiction book review blog.
I received a free Kindle copy of this book courtesy of Net Galley and the publisher with the understanding that I would post a review on Net Galley, Goodreads, Amazon and my nonfiction book review blog.
November 10, 2025
The Undiscovered Country could be called “the unrelenting conquest” of America’s expanding western frontier. While not heralded as a frontiersman, George Washington exhibited a characteristic that motivated generations of Americans, the thirst for land - land for hunting, land for farming, land for raising families, land for taming. This story is told through the exploits of Daniel Boone, Davy Crockett, Kit Carson, Buffalo Bill Cody, and Native American chiefs like Sitting Bull and Mangas Coloradas. It is difficult to appreciate today that buffalo and other game roamed from coast to coast when early Americans began their thrust west. Confederations of indians occupied the land and stood in the way of the western push. A confusing pattern of battles and treaties were signed over the two centuries of expansion covered in the book. Native Americans who did not understand the concept of owning land often forfeited the territory claimed by other tribes. Frontiersmen and politicians opportunistically gobbled up whatever land they could with minimal interest in abiding by the terms and territorial boundaries. I enjoyed Undiscovered Country and probably would have rated it higher, but after a while I wearied of the endless skirmishes, battles and wars that shaped the western frontier. Daniel Boone and Davy Crockett were boyhood heroes of mine brought to life on TV by Fess Parker (my brother & I had fake Davy Crockett coonskin caps). As big as these heroes were on TV, the real frontiersmen were even bigger in life. I really enjoyed the portraits of Boone, Crocket, and Carson and learning more about their roles in the “Triumph, Tragedy, and the Shaping of the American West.”
Want to read
December 4, 2025High marks from the WSJ: https://www.wsj.com/arts-culture/book...
(Paywalled. As always, I'm happy to email a copy to non-subscribers)
Excerpt:
"In 1754, a 22-year-old newly promoted Lt. Col. George Washington led a ragtag band of militia through the wilds of western Pennsylvania on behalf of the British Crown. His assignment was to recruit Native American allies and search for French troops rumored to be lurking near the strategically vital Forks of the Ohio. Washington found the French, and in a skirmish he bested them and captured the ensign in command, who declared himself an emissary with a message for the British to abandon the contested country. Tanaghrisson, the leader of Washington’s Native American warriors, stepped forward. As a horrified Washington looked on, the chief sank his tomahawk into the ensign’s skull and then washed his hands in the man’s brains. “And thus,” writes Paul Andrew Hutton, “with a single tomahawk blow, did Tanaghrisson incite the Seven Years’ War between France and England, as well as the forty-year conflict between the Americans and the Native tribes for possession of the Ohio Country.” ...
With “The Undiscovered Country,” Mr. Hutton has produced the definitive popular history of the American West."
Looking forward to reading this one!
(Paywalled. As always, I'm happy to email a copy to non-subscribers)
Excerpt:
"In 1754, a 22-year-old newly promoted Lt. Col. George Washington led a ragtag band of militia through the wilds of western Pennsylvania on behalf of the British Crown. His assignment was to recruit Native American allies and search for French troops rumored to be lurking near the strategically vital Forks of the Ohio. Washington found the French, and in a skirmish he bested them and captured the ensign in command, who declared himself an emissary with a message for the British to abandon the contested country. Tanaghrisson, the leader of Washington’s Native American warriors, stepped forward. As a horrified Washington looked on, the chief sank his tomahawk into the ensign’s skull and then washed his hands in the man’s brains. “And thus,” writes Paul Andrew Hutton, “with a single tomahawk blow, did Tanaghrisson incite the Seven Years’ War between France and England, as well as the forty-year conflict between the Americans and the Native tribes for possession of the Ohio Country.” ...
With “The Undiscovered Country,” Mr. Hutton has produced the definitive popular history of the American West."
Looking forward to reading this one!
June 3, 2025
The Undiscovered Country is a nice addition to the vast literature that attempts to portray the founding of the American West. Author Paul Andrew Hutton takes on this challenge by focusing on 7 protagonists crucial to American Western History: Daniel Boone, Red Eagle, Davy Crockett, Mangas Coloradas, Kit Carson, Sitting Bull, and William “Buffalo Bill” Cody. Many readers will recognize names like Boone, Crockett, and Carson; the addition of the other four opens up areas of history that many of us have likely not read much about.
The research is first-rate; the writing crisp and engaging. The author takes history and nonfiction and turns it into compelling reading. If you are a fan of history, and want to learn more about how the West was founded, this is a must read for you.
I give the book 5 stars.
My thanks to the author, Penguin Publishing Group (Dutton), and NetGalley for an opportunity to review an ARC of this new book. I attest my review is my own unbiased work.
The research is first-rate; the writing crisp and engaging. The author takes history and nonfiction and turns it into compelling reading. If you are a fan of history, and want to learn more about how the West was founded, this is a must read for you.
I give the book 5 stars.
My thanks to the author, Penguin Publishing Group (Dutton), and NetGalley for an opportunity to review an ARC of this new book. I attest my review is my own unbiased work.
August 29, 2025
This sweeping version of the American creation myth has it all: larger-than-life "heroes" who were a jumble of contradictions; rapacious adventurists; relentless free enterprise; bigotry and self-righteousness; scheming colonial powers; violence of epic proportions; and a misunderstood people who had their land stolen from them. In short, it's America history, no matter what the revisionists attempting to rewrite history might say. There's just as much to be ashamed of here as there is to be proud about.
January 22, 2026
Divided into four parts [Forest, City, Prairie, and Mountains], this is a well-written and deeply researched book about the surge West [and what caused it] and all who were involved in both the expansion and the creation of new cities and places, with the focus mainly on four specific men [Daniel Boone, Davy Crockett, Kit Carson, and Buffalo Bill Cody], their accomplishments AND their failures.
Filled with history we ALL [think we] know, and so much that we don't [and perhaps will make you change your mind about some of the hero worship that surrounds several of the men written about here], this was a really great read and a deep dive into what made the American West.
Thank you to NetGalley, Paul Andrew Hutton, and PENGUIN GROUP Dutton/Dutton for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Filled with history we ALL [think we] know, and so much that we don't [and perhaps will make you change your mind about some of the hero worship that surrounds several of the men written about here], this was a really great read and a deep dive into what made the American West.
Thank you to NetGalley, Paul Andrew Hutton, and PENGUIN GROUP Dutton/Dutton for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
September 1, 2025
Outstanding book! A very readable, but authoritative, history of the opening of the American frontier. The chapters on Kit Carson were especially eye opening. He also discusses one of my favorite Americans, Daniel Morgan, a teamster for the Braddock campaign, a commander of riflemen at Quebec and Saratoga, and a tactical genius at the Battle of the Cowpens.
September 13, 2025
I have read a lot of history books, auto biogs, biogs etc about the people and characters of the US West, but I have never read one that so well ties the larger than life figures who lived in the 19th Century together with the events and one another. You also may find that some knew and interacted with one another to be a surprise. And all is elegantly referenced and indexed. This is a Paul Andrew Hutton master work.
To know the gist of the book, it is all summed up in the last paragraph of the book. (not a Spoiler) “Stand at Cumberland Gap and watch the procession of civilization, marching single file—the buffalo, following the trail to the salt springs, the Indian, the fur trader and hunter, the cattle raiser, the pioneer farmer—and the frontier has passed by.”
To know the gist of the book, it is all summed up in the last paragraph of the book. (not a Spoiler) “Stand at Cumberland Gap and watch the procession of civilization, marching single file—the buffalo, following the trail to the salt springs, the Indian, the fur trader and hunter, the cattle raiser, the pioneer farmer—and the frontier has passed by.”
October 28, 2025
This comprehensive history of the American West piqued my interest has I have deep roots in the Southwest. The author approaches the subject chronologically and geographically. Seven protagonists are introduced and followed including Davy Crockett, Kit Carson, Sitting Bull and Buffalo Bill Cody and their presence humanizes the stories. The author presented a balanced picture of the conflicting interests and philosophies of the various parties who come into contact with each other including Native American tribes, explorers, pioneers, gold rush followers and Civil War combatants. The book develops a very vivid and broad picture of the evolution of the American West. I wish there had been a smarter resolution to this clash of cultures.
February 5, 2026
The Undiscovered Country was recommended as one of the best books of 2025 by the Wall Street Journal. It is almost a college level course about the American West. Why only 4 stars? The details in the book are almost overwhelming. The book starts with Daniel Boone and the discovery of the Cumberland Gap which led to hordes of settlers crossing the Appalachian Mountains. With those settlers came increasing and violent contact with the Native American tribes. Both sides were guilty of gruesome violence and retaliations. Wild game and buffalo were everywhere. The country, at that time, was truly a natural eden. Next came Davy Crockett and the legendary story of the Alamo. What many Americans do not realize is that conflict with the Native American population continued unabated on both sides of the Mississippi River for decades, almost centuries. While the North was fighting the South, they were engaged in Indian warfare, ditto during the Revolutionary War as well.
Next came Kit Carson, and he is really the major part of the book. He became the head guide the Pathfinder, John C. Fremont. By the way, Fremont was the first Republican Party candidate to run for President in 1856. He lost to James Buchanan that year. Fremont and Carson viewed truly a lost world that will never be recovered. Finally, the book ends with Buffalo Bill Cody. Custer's Last Stand is only mentioned in passing, but in something that could only happen in America, Cody and Sitting Bull barnstormed with a Wild West Show that made Cody a rich man. In case you don't know, Sitting Bull was the chief at Custer's Last Stand. The book ends with a historian, Frederick Jackson Turner. Turner, in the late 1890's, stated that the west was essentially closed, the era of exploration was coming to an end. Turner also stated that "distinctiveness of American cultural and political society, as well as our exceptional national character, emerged from the frontier experience."Turner also added that he was worried "about the future of the country now that the frontier had closed."
This book is only for those truly, truly interested in American history, but for those it is a treat.
Next came Kit Carson, and he is really the major part of the book. He became the head guide the Pathfinder, John C. Fremont. By the way, Fremont was the first Republican Party candidate to run for President in 1856. He lost to James Buchanan that year. Fremont and Carson viewed truly a lost world that will never be recovered. Finally, the book ends with Buffalo Bill Cody. Custer's Last Stand is only mentioned in passing, but in something that could only happen in America, Cody and Sitting Bull barnstormed with a Wild West Show that made Cody a rich man. In case you don't know, Sitting Bull was the chief at Custer's Last Stand. The book ends with a historian, Frederick Jackson Turner. Turner, in the late 1890's, stated that the west was essentially closed, the era of exploration was coming to an end. Turner also stated that "distinctiveness of American cultural and political society, as well as our exceptional national character, emerged from the frontier experience."Turner also added that he was worried "about the future of the country now that the frontier had closed."
This book is only for those truly, truly interested in American history, but for those it is a treat.
October 18, 2025
The irony, of course, is that the American West was “discovered” by Europeans who brought smallpox and military might to bear against the natives who inhabited the land.
Peace and harmony were never much more than a passing thought.
Paul Hutton has done a wonderful job of providing thorough descriptions of the men who lead the way in opening up the American West to colonization, as well as the Indian nations and the chiefs who fought back to preserve their way of life. The journey of discovery and occupation was bathed in blood, sweat, and tears, as violence and death were accepted ways of life. Lies and deceit added to the tragedy that was the conquering of the land and their inhabitants. Also the new “Americans” had little respect or concern for the environment, as animals, forests, and land were treated as commodities to be exploited.
The real contribution in this historical writing was the in-depth insight into the lives of the protagonists Daniel Boone, Davy Crockett, Kit Carson, John Fremont, Buffalo Bill Cody, Sitting Bull, Geronimo, Mangas Coloradas, Red Eagle, etc. Of interest, was the fact that many of the men who fought the Indians ultimately became more sympathetic to their cause. Getting to know them better as human beings added volumes to the storytelling. A great addition to better understanding America's history.
Peace and harmony were never much more than a passing thought.
Paul Hutton has done a wonderful job of providing thorough descriptions of the men who lead the way in opening up the American West to colonization, as well as the Indian nations and the chiefs who fought back to preserve their way of life. The journey of discovery and occupation was bathed in blood, sweat, and tears, as violence and death were accepted ways of life. Lies and deceit added to the tragedy that was the conquering of the land and their inhabitants. Also the new “Americans” had little respect or concern for the environment, as animals, forests, and land were treated as commodities to be exploited.
The real contribution in this historical writing was the in-depth insight into the lives of the protagonists Daniel Boone, Davy Crockett, Kit Carson, John Fremont, Buffalo Bill Cody, Sitting Bull, Geronimo, Mangas Coloradas, Red Eagle, etc. Of interest, was the fact that many of the men who fought the Indians ultimately became more sympathetic to their cause. Getting to know them better as human beings added volumes to the storytelling. A great addition to better understanding America's history.
November 29, 2025
This was a good read. I thought “Well, I already know a lot about these guys” when I started the book. But the author is a very good story teller and I learned a lot. I was also afraid it would be all “Native Americans good- White man bad,” but it was fairly balanced for a book published in 2025 by a professor. The maps in the book are inadequate (and there is no list of maps in the table of contents), so a reader would benefit from a large screen and a browser nearby to find and refer to maps. The index is helpful because he has a habit of introducing someone new, then digressing, then coming back to the person when you’ve forgotten the intro. The digressions are interesting, though, so I can’t complain too much. It would help if the names were in boldface when introduced so it would be easier to find where people were introduced (even with the index). The photos were fun. Many are from his personal collection, which feels like you are with the author in his study and he’s opening drawers saying “And check this out!” His prior book is about the Apaches, and there is a lot of Apache history in this book. I wonder whether it is worth reading the Apache book after reading The Undiscovered Country.
October 28, 2025
Paul Hutton’s The Undiscovered Country is a richly detailed and deeply researched exploration of the American West that demonstrates his command of both narrative and scholarship. Readers follow an array of figures who shaped the region’s shifting political, cultural, and military landscapes, and the book illuminates how myth and history have intertwined to form the West many still imagine today.
This volume feels especially crafted for historians or dedicated history enthusiasts. Hutton’s prose is strong and intelligent, although his level of detail and historiographical engagement may feel dense for the casual reader browsing the History shelf at the local bookstore. That said, those who appreciate authoritative work on Western history will find this a rewarding experience.
A compelling and comprehensive analysis of a complicated era, The Undiscovered Country is absolutely worth the time for anyone invested in the American West.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an early copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
This volume feels especially crafted for historians or dedicated history enthusiasts. Hutton’s prose is strong and intelligent, although his level of detail and historiographical engagement may feel dense for the casual reader browsing the History shelf at the local bookstore. That said, those who appreciate authoritative work on Western history will find this a rewarding experience.
A compelling and comprehensive analysis of a complicated era, The Undiscovered Country is absolutely worth the time for anyone invested in the American West.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an early copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
October 12, 2025
Using seven main protagonists, Daniel Boone, Red Eagle, Davy Crockett, Mangas Coloradas, Kit Carson, Sitting Bull, and “Buffalo Bill” Cody, the author explores the history of the American West.
Much like another recent book that I read, The Unvanquished by Patrick O'Donnell, The Undiscovered Country's scope was so vast that reading it to its conclusion proved to be a bit of a chore. Just as you were becoming invested in the life of Kit Carson or John Fremont's time in California, you were whisked away to another area of the country or to another point of view entirely. A book that begins with George Washington seeing military action in the French and Indian War and ends with Woodrow Wilson working for women's suffrage is one that is stuffed to the gills. The voluminous research and keen insight of the author is commendable and noteworthy, I just wish the book had been narrower in focus.
Much like another recent book that I read, The Unvanquished by Patrick O'Donnell, The Undiscovered Country's scope was so vast that reading it to its conclusion proved to be a bit of a chore. Just as you were becoming invested in the life of Kit Carson or John Fremont's time in California, you were whisked away to another area of the country or to another point of view entirely. A book that begins with George Washington seeing military action in the French and Indian War and ends with Woodrow Wilson working for women's suffrage is one that is stuffed to the gills. The voluminous research and keen insight of the author is commendable and noteworthy, I just wish the book had been narrower in focus.
October 22, 2025
The amount of history in this book on the birth of the United States of America was brilliant. The suffering of the early settlers at the hands of the wild Indian tribes was heart rendering. It was not easy for the brave early settlers who came with a lot of hope. During the raids of the Indians some were killed and the women and children were invariably kidnapped and held for ransom. Then the retaliatory attacks by the settlers and the army also created havoc on the Indians. Yes, the settlers had taken the Indians land. Some of the land was held sacred by the Indians according to their religions and customs.
After years of devastating wars with Indians the Americans were finally able to tame them and put them into reservations. The Indians finally accepted the superiority of the Americans and calmed down to a great extent. It was after this the settlers were finally able to establish huge plantations across the country. These wars between the Indians and the settlers were also going on during the great civil war between 1861 and 1864.
After years of devastating wars with Indians the Americans were finally able to tame them and put them into reservations. The Indians finally accepted the superiority of the Americans and calmed down to a great extent. It was after this the settlers were finally able to establish huge plantations across the country. These wars between the Indians and the settlers were also going on during the great civil war between 1861 and 1864.
November 13, 2025
I expected this book to be different. I figured it would be a mostly triumphant story of America's westward expansion. Instead, it was a very sobering view of the topic, addressing the poor treatments of the Native Americans head on from the beginnings of the frontier to its closing. It tells the story of how the frontier started just west of the Appalachians at the founding of the country to the Wounded Knee Massacre in 1890. It's centered around different characters; the men who were driving forces of the story, Daniel Boone, Davy Crockett, Kit Carson, Buffalo Bill Cody. It was a well balanced book, showing three dimensional portraits of the men involved. They were at times bold and brave, but also they were basically part of a genocide, even though most of the main guys had profound respect for, and were friends of, the Natives. The government, on the other hand, not so much. Overall, it's an interesting story, and a very good book.
December 31, 2025
Excellent book on the creation of the American nation, mostly in the wake of the Revolution. The reason I ranked it highly is the fact that it exposes the American Creation Myth perpetuated by the media, the movies, the popular fiction, and to some degree the schools. It shows the centuries of conflict and expansion to push the new nation from the Appalachians to the edge of the plains. The primary population center of Native Americans was the East. Confederations of Native American tribes opposed this expansion, but it was inevitable. West of the 95th deg. of longitude there is little rain. There were no horses and few people. The east was the prize and was firmly part of the US by 1845 (Texas independence). Of course the West offered great wealth, primarily in minerals and later oil, but all in all it is a pretty barren expanse. Now post 1849 and the Oregon Trail, the west coast is heavily populated and productive while the middle is magnificent with a rather thin history.
November 13, 2025
Paul Andrew Hutton strips away the mythology and shows you what the American West actually was: brutal, complicated, and nothing like the movies. The Undiscovered Country covers the triumphs and disasters that shaped the region, and Hutton doesn't shy away from the ugly parts.
What I loved is how he balances the big sweeping history with individual stories that make it all feel real. You get explorers, settlers, Native Americans, and everyone caught in between, all dealing with impossible choices and massive consequences.
It's a thick book but never boring. Hutton writes like someone who's genuinely passionate about getting the story right, and his expertise shows on every page.
If you want to understand how the West was really won (and lost, depending on who you were), this is the book. Way better than any Hollywood version.
What I loved is how he balances the big sweeping history with individual stories that make it all feel real. You get explorers, settlers, Native Americans, and everyone caught in between, all dealing with impossible choices and massive consequences.
It's a thick book but never boring. Hutton writes like someone who's genuinely passionate about getting the story right, and his expertise shows on every page.
If you want to understand how the West was really won (and lost, depending on who you were), this is the book. Way better than any Hollywood version.
January 2, 2026
This book sets forth many dark details about The West that I missed when I slept through formal American history courses at Arkansas State. Familiar names like George Washington, Daniel Boone, Davy Crockett, Kit Carson, Sam Houston and Buffalo Bill appear, of course. I also didn’t previously know some war-like Indian tribes, such as Comanches, Apaches and Kiowa, had “good” and “bad” divisions. Hutton sympathizes with their plights. He cites one former officer who started a one-man war against Indians and claimed a pack of wolves followed him “because they’re fond of dead Indians and I feed them well.” This book is written in a popular style. It disdains idol images and is full of ironies. It's a tapestry revealing dark tragedy, heroic conquest and overall environmental ruin. I am awakened!
February 6, 2026
For the most part I enjoyed reading this account of the exploration, subduing and settlement of the American West. It covers over a century of history from the initial forays of the British and colonial Americans into the Ohio Valley to the final tragic conquering of the Lakota Sioux at Wounded Knee. There were sections in which the recital of the numerous battles with various Native American tribes as well as those against Mexican troops in the southwest became for me a blur of information.
The author uses the lives and exploits of a handful of famous individuals (Crockett, Boone, Carson, Cody, Red Eagle, Mangas Coloradas, and Sitting Bull) to pull the story together and give it a narrative punch. The final section dealing with Buffalo Bill Cody's Wild West Show illustrates how much of this history became popularized and romanticized.
The author uses the lives and exploits of a handful of famous individuals (Crockett, Boone, Carson, Cody, Red Eagle, Mangas Coloradas, and Sitting Bull) to pull the story together and give it a narrative punch. The final section dealing with Buffalo Bill Cody's Wild West Show illustrates how much of this history became popularized and romanticized.
December 23, 2025
An entertaining listen, yeah, I didn't actually read it, listening and reading are not the same despite what the NYT might want you to believe. The book doesn't cover new ground in the history of the opening of the west but does offer details glossed over in regular curriculums on the topic. Covering American folk heroes like Daniel Boone, David Crocket, Kit Carson and William Cody, the reader or listener will find new details about their storied lives. Many of the principle Native Americans that were pivotal in trying to stem the tides of European encroachment are also profiled. If you have to chose between this book and Hampton Sides Blood and Thunder, go with the later to get a better understanding of the diaspora the Navajo at the hands of Kit Carson.
December 26, 2025
this book was just ok, less compelling than I anticipated
Well, I think there were 3 ways Mr. Hutton could have improved this book. 1. Reduce the number of awkward sentences.
2. An example of an estimate stated as fact. Author states as fact that the population of pre-Columbian population of North America was 4 million. Many other academics use a figure double that number. A range of 4-9 million would make more sense because using the low figure adds to the misconception that North America was practically uninhabited.
3. His casual mention of the “success” of Morman carts lacks scholarship. I can’t imagine he used any primary sources for that paragraph. He must have just relied on a plaque asserting success.
Well, I think there were 3 ways Mr. Hutton could have improved this book. 1. Reduce the number of awkward sentences.
2. An example of an estimate stated as fact. Author states as fact that the population of pre-Columbian population of North America was 4 million. Many other academics use a figure double that number. A range of 4-9 million would make more sense because using the low figure adds to the misconception that North America was practically uninhabited.
3. His casual mention of the “success” of Morman carts lacks scholarship. I can’t imagine he used any primary sources for that paragraph. He must have just relied on a plaque asserting success.
September 8, 2025
4.5 stars easily. Designed for anyone who has an interest in American history and wants a single volume to give a broad but yet detailed telling of how the US expanded from the Atlantic to the Pacific from the time of the French and Indian war to the death of Buffalo Bill Cody. You get a pretty detailed account of the lives of some notables including Washington, Daniel Boone, Davy Crockett, Kit Carson and finally Buffalo Bill Cody. The text is well written and the section of notes at the end that provide the story line is extensive. If you desire a single volume accounting, you couldn't do much better than this. I definitely have to read the Apache Wars in the future.
November 7, 2025
A towering history of 19th century America told through the conquest of the West and the characters of Daniel Boone, Davy Crockett, Kit Carson, and Bill Cody, as they live out Turner's frontier thesis and the West goes from a scene of existential war to a memory in a big tent show. A drawback to the book is the lack of much Indian perspective, while the American perspective is told in granular detail, down to almost imagined conversations based on primary sources. Recommended, but only as part of a broader reading of Western history that gives more attention to Indian voices.
January 19, 2026
Great review of western expansion of the west. From George Washington to Buffalo Bill Hickok.
Daniel Boone, Davy Crocket, Andrew Jackson, Creek Indians, war of 1812, Texas, Alamo, Sam Houston, David Bowie, Steven Austin, Kit Carson, John Fremont, civil war battles in Arizona and New Mexico, William Cody, sitting bull, Annie Oakley, George Custer and the development of new states to union. Concise history of each character.
Sadly chronicles the government’s management of Native American s and racial treatment.
A very thorough book on the west
Daniel Boone, Davy Crocket, Andrew Jackson, Creek Indians, war of 1812, Texas, Alamo, Sam Houston, David Bowie, Steven Austin, Kit Carson, John Fremont, civil war battles in Arizona and New Mexico, William Cody, sitting bull, Annie Oakley, George Custer and the development of new states to union. Concise history of each character.
Sadly chronicles the government’s management of Native American s and racial treatment.
A very thorough book on the west
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